Improvement in traction engines



initrntatrs @anni @Hirn JOHN B. ROOT, (1F-NEWv Your, N.' Y.

Leners Patent No. 65,012, dans May 21,1867.

l IMPROVEMENT IN TRAGTION ENGINES.

tro ALL wHoM Ir MAY coNeERN:

p Be it known that I, JOHN B'. ROOT, of the city, county, and vSt-ate of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Locomotive or Traction Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a partly sectional plan of the running or truck portion of the framework'of 'a locomotive or traction engine with my improvement applied thereto; and i Figure 2 a vertical longitudinal section ofthe same taken through the line :r a: in fig. I.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts in both tigurc's'. I

The nature 'of my invention consists in a combination of variable eccentrics or cranks on a rotating shaft, set in motion by the engine, with reciprocating friction devices driven by said eccentrics or cranks, and acting upon or against, wheels connected with the driving-shaft of a locomotive or traction vengine to propel the latter by rotating said wheels. By this combination, the driving-wheels'ot' the engine may be rotated fast or slow in a. smoothand positive manner without altering the speed'ot' the engine-shaft, to Vgive more or less traction according to the load or-deviation'from level ofthe road on which the locomotive travels", or, in the case of the application oi the improvement to portable engines, enabling said engines, with the same advantages as regards smoothness of work and variableness in speed, to move from place to place and to continue their driving power at rest without, it may be, stopping the engine-shaft. Under the construction herein represented, too, of frictional devices, the driving-shaft maybe reversed without altering the direction in travel of the engine-shaft; Y

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the lower framework or truck portion in part of a. locomotive or traction engine, and B B its driving-wheels, fast to: a driving-shaft, C. 0n this driving-shaft C are pulleys D D,lor such may be mere rims or iia'nge projections on the drivinglw'heels B B. Against these rims or pulleys D D thereciprocating.friction-blocksv or devices E E are made to bearalternately, to give a continuous rotary motion to the driving-shaft C. Such' frictional devices'may beef any suitable description, as, for instance, they may be similar to those heretofore used in operating sewing machines, or they may be constructed according to an improvement in such devices invented by me, but which, separately considered, forms no part of the. present invention. Such device, however, as here represented, m-ay be described as follows: The frictional blocks E E', made circular on their rubbing edges, are arranged within the pulleysD D', and of such pitch or size as when thrown against the inner peripherics of said pulleys they produce a long and effective bite thereon, but when relieved from suchvpress'ure or bite, are capable of freely turning within said rims. These friction-blocks are loosely hung uponeccentrics F, which are loosely fitted on the driving-shaft C, and have attached to them cranks or arms G G that, accordingly as they are made to reciprocate in reverse directions, simultancously serve, by their eccentrics, to make eitheriblock E E alternately bear against the pulleys D D and give'a continuous rotarymovement to the driving-shaft C, it only being during one motion of said cranks or arms G G that the bite of the blocks E or E is established, the eccentrics in the opposite travel of the cranks relieving the blocks from frictional bite or pressure. To reverse the action ot the driving-shaft,

.the blocks E E may be swung over so as to ae't alternately on the pulleys D D on the opposite sideoi the driving-shaft C, as represented by red lines in 4iig-2. This avoids the necessity of reversing the action of the engine that operates the reciprocating cranks GG. .The cranks GIG are reciprocated in reverse directions simultaneously by means of eccentrics H, placed at opposite throw on the engine-shaft I, and linkcdby eccentric straps J and rods K with said cranks. L is the engine-crank by which the shaft l is rotated. The eccentrics H, which rotate with the engine-shaft, are made jointly variable or adjustable so as to alter the extent of their throw, and consequently' increase or diminish the stroke of the friction-block cranks G G, to modify the velocity of the driving-shaft C Without altering the speed of the engine-shaft. This is done to vary the traction or speed of the locomotive to circumstances, such as variations in the load or inclinations ip the road on which it travels, and may be eiected while the engine-shaft is running at a regularveloeity, by simply sliding to the right or left a. bar or plato, M, that by means of arms m m moves clutches ,or slidingsockets N N, to' which are attached reversely-arranged wedges 0.0 0, fitting through transverse slots made in the eccentrics H. These wedges bear en their inner edges against opposite sides of the engine-shaftwhich maybe made square at the portions carrying the eccentrics, that, accordingly as they have more or less throw given them by the action ofthe wedges against them in sliding the bar M to the right or left, give more or less action to the friction-blocks; o1' said eeeenti'ics II may, by suhciently sliding the Wedges to the one side, be made to occupy a concentric position relatively to the engine-shaft, when; although the engine-shaft continues to rotate, the friction-blocks will have no motion'. This will be found vey serviceable in cases where the locomotive or traction engine is designed to act at times as a stationary engine for driving machinery, as, its locomotive action `being stopped, the engine-shaft may then be u'secl to communicate, by pulleys or otherwise, the necessary stationary power. V

Thus it will be seen that by the combination of variable eceentries or cranks Aon the engine-shaft, with reciprocating fr`ction devices acting to rotate the driving-shaft of the locomotive, many facilities are afforded, Without noise, jar, er liability to breakage in making the changes. u

Wha-t I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Thc'eombination of variable o1' adjustable eceentiics or cranks on agrotating shaft, driven by the engine,a with reciprocating.frietiomblocks or devices, acting upon wheels connected with the driving-shaft of a locolotive o1' traction engine, substantially as speeied. v

JOHN B. ROOT.

Witnesses:

A. LE CLERC, J. W. Comms. 

